Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted Kashmiri Pandits on the occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami.
"Greetings to everyone, especially my Kashmiri Pandit sisters and brothers on Jyeshtha Ashtami. We pray to Mata Kheer Bhawani for everyone's well-being and prosperity," he tweeted.
Kashmiri Pandits offer prayers at the Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal district in Jammu and Kashmir on this day.
The famous Ragnya Devi temple in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district is also known as Mata Kheer Bhawani temple.
The temple is dotted amid majestic Chinars at Tulumulla village of the district. It is thronged by devotees annually on the occasion of Zeshta Ashtami.
The temple at Tulmulla is revered equally by locals Muslims and Pandits.
Mata Kheer Bhawani's spring has a bearing on Valley's political landscape
There is a common belief that the colour of temple’s spring waters depict the political situation of the valley. As per the belief if the colour of the spring’s water turns red, it means an upheaval or tumult. Many Kashmiris remember the spring’s colour at Tulmulla turning red during 90’s, a decade of bloodbath and killings in Valley.
Similarly, if the colour of the spring at the temple is blue, it means peace and prosperity.
Devotees also refrain from eating any sort of non-veg before Mata's Darshan
Kashmiri Pandits being meat eaters, there is a belief that eating non-veg before Mata Kheer Bhawani's 'darshan' would devour people of the diety's blessings.
Besides, local Muslims also refrain from eating meat as a mark of respect and reverence to the deity.
Kashmiri Muslims stand behind their Kashmiri Pandit brethren
On the occasion of Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela, Muslim brethren are seen behind their Pandit brethren at Tulmulla village. Right from dusk to dawn, hordes of Kashmiri Muslims can be seen lined up to welcome their Kashmiri Pandit brethren. There have been instances in the past when an old Muslim friend and Pandit friend have met after decades at Mata’s shrine.
90’s had cast its shadow on the annual affair of Mata Kheer Bhawani at Tulmulla village in Ganderbal.
After turbulent 90’s, when majority of the Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the Valley, an annual affair of Mata Kheer Bhawani remained a low key affair until 1994, when devotees again began to throng the revered site.
This year not much devotees expected due to continuous targeted killings in Kashmir.
Despite Mata Kheer Bhawani temple being opened for devotees, after two years of Covid-19 closure, less devotees particularly Kashmiri Pandits living outside Valley are expected, due to continuous targeted killings.
(With PTI inputs)
